


In the way (you say)

by withered



Series: Roses (by another name) [9]
Category: Bleach
Genre: But I know nothing so it's mostly made up, F/M, I'm nice to Inoue in this one, Ichigo is a hot nerd, Mulan references, No Inoue Bashing, Rivals, Rukia is dumb about boys, Slightly science-y, some making out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 18:50:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14408325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withered/pseuds/withered
Summary: “I know he’s looking at you, but the way he’s doing it is making me want to take my clothes off.”





	In the way (you say)

**Prompt:** Rivals 

 

 

Let it be known that Kuchiki Rukia was not an idiot.

You don’t get into one of the top universities in Japan by being one, and Seireitei Tech was the height of prestige; getting accepted a year early only proved how _not an idiot_ she was. Her academic record was pristine, and like clockwork she was on the Dean’s List and Top Performing Achievers – she was still a year away from graduation and already she was being touted as Summa Cum Laude.

It stood to reason then that logically, and on paper, Kuchiki Rukia was not an idiot.

Even if she felt like she was.

“It’s the smartest thing you’ve ever done –” It’s Rangiku, that compliment is a trap. “I don’t know what you’re huffing and sulking for, I’d love some hot nerd to proposition _me_ like that.”

See.

 “It was not a proposition, and God, who even says that anymore?”

“I do,” Rangiku declared, “I’m classy like that. And to do it in front of everyone at the preliminaries for the showcase? That’s some serious confidence – boy had _me_ wanting to part like the red sea!”

Rukia wasn’t getting into that one, she didn’t even want to touch it with a twenty-foot pole so deny-deny-deny, it was, “I still don’t know what you’re talking about. If you ask me, he just doesn’t like getting his ass handed to him by a girl.”

“I’ve seen him hang out with Tatsuki, word on the grapevine says they grew up together, and trust me if my sources are reliable (and they are), he’s used to it.” Pausing dramatically, her friend added, “He might even have a thing for it.”

“Then he can go barking up her tree.”

“Pity she doesn’t play for his team,” Nanao deadpanned.

Rukia resolved to ignore them both. (And not just because Tatsuki had made a pass at her the other day, and she wasn’t thinking about that – _nope_.) Besides, Kurosaki’s little declaration meant nothing. It was nothing.

 “Oh, so feeding off Handsome’s competitive streak and him coming to bark up _your tree_ is a _surprise to you_?” Rangiku’s brows were raised, the look a cross between curiosity and disbelief. “Oh, _honey_.”

To repeat, Kuchiki Rukia was not an idiot, but sometimes she did dumb shit. As all twenty-somethings do. It’s science, it wasn’t her fault.

In fact, if anyone was to be blamed, it was Kurosaki.

He started it.

“That’s what you’re going with?” Nanao asked mockingly, because what was a friend if she couldn’t remind you how much of an idiot you are despite evidence to the contrary.

“It’s true,” Rukia insisted anyway, crossing her arms and nodding. Knowing, despite herself, that he was watching the whole thing, and trying very hard not to overthink the actions that came so natural to her just because he happened to be looking their way.

And he was always looking their way as evidenced by the number of staring contests they apparently got into during their shared study-hall period.

According to Nanao, the whole faculty knew about it and stayed well clear of the five tables that separated them. Which was why Rukia had her back to him, purposely ignoring the Goosebumps tickling her neck.

“Maybe he’s short sighted, and he’s just looking in our direction?” Orihime suggested, and conflictingly, Rukia hoped (and didn’t) that she was right.

Rangiku, however, put a nail in that coffin. “Nu-uh, I know that look, and I _know_ he’s looking at her.” Leaning slightly forward on the table, her blouse threatening to pop in its abundance, she conspiratorially revealed her ace in the hole, “Once I had these puppies right up in his face and he was still looking at her.”

Ignoring the heat fanning across her cheeks and burning her ears, Rukia exhaled slowly, “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I?”

Okay, fine, she was an adult – she could claim _some_ responsibility in all of this:

She _did_ entertain the competitive streak that ran between the two of them since his transfer to Seireitei Tech. Mainly because her arrogance needed to be beaten into submission, but also for the fun of the challenge.

And not at all because Kurosaki Ichigo thought he was hot shit and needed to be taken down a few pegs.

(And yes, okay, he _was_ hot shit. His “city of strings” suspension project was a thing of beauty – the math made her teary eyed _._ )

But they hadn’t even exchanged a word until ten minutes ago, when, after several weeks of passive-aggressive one-upmanship a winner was finally crowned when Rukia’s electromagnetic “soul piercer” was deemed superior to his; he approached and declared, “It’s on.”

 “Say it slower, lower – and with bedroom eyes.”

Rukia huffed again, “You’re ridiculous.”

“Are we even surprised this escalated, you’ve been staring each other down since he got here.”

In Rukia’s defence, she just assumed the apparent genius from Karakura University was trying to intimidate his rival, and there was no way she was bowing down to some walking traffic cone (seductive math and insanely attractive brain regardless). Besides, “He’s got permanent angry face, how is that my fault?”

“It’s not,” Rangiku finally allowed, “but what I’d do for someone to look at me like _that._ ” She whistled, and Rukia felt her eye twitch involuntarily.

“This could’ve all been avoided if you’d just been nice to him, you know,” Nanao said, voice flat but tone playful, as only she knew how.

“I’m always nice.”

“Yes, glaring at the man while he sits innocently across from you is the very definition of _nice_.”

“I wasn’t glaring _at_ him – I was just staring at his general direction.” And to be honest, _glaring_ hadn’t been her intention at all – she just hadn’t worn her contacts that day and had only been trying to make out who the hell was blinding her with his brightly coloured hair…. okay, so maybe she was glaring at him. In her defence she was somehow both sleep deprived and overly caffeinated, plus her migraine was strong enough to take down an elephant.

Shaking her head, Nanao declared, “Only you could seduce a hot guy by glaring at him.”

“I resent that, sometimes I make conversation.”

Rangiku snickered and while Nanao shook her head in disbelief, smile tugging at her mouth; Orihime’s surprised intake of breath was what caught Rukia’s attention because that meant –

“So, there’s more?”

Comically, Rangiku’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, lips forming in a perfect “O”, and Rukia could only be grateful she had twenty-three years of perfecting Emotionless-Resting-Face to prevent the same expression.

Coolly, she shifted her gaze to his and asked, “More what?”

“More seduction,” he elaborated, brow lifting in suggestion and _damn it, there goes twenty-three years of Emotionless-Resting-Face._

“If I were actually seducing you, Kurosaki, you’d know.”

He smirked slowly and _what the fuck – you can’t be smart and hot, that’s just not fair to other people._ “I look forward to it.”

Someone caught his eye from Rukia’s left – Sado from mechanical – and he raised two fingers in mock salute before departing with a casual, “Later.”

Across from her, Rangiku raised her knuckle to her mouth. “Dear god, can I have him?’

Her jaw felt like it was hanging, the only word that came out of her mouth was a scandalized, “ _Ran_.”

“You can’t blame me for asking,” she defended, “I know he’s looking at you, but the way he’s doing it is making _me_ wanting to take my clothes off.”

 “Oh my god.”

Lowering her voice, it was Nanao’s turn to take the piss out of her as she peered through her strategically lowered glasses, “Breathier.”

 “I’m leaving,” Rukia deadpanned.

“It better be to climb that man like a tree because you’re letting some good dick go to waste and I can’t abide,” Rangiku declaredly sternly.

“You should stick condoms in her folder, just in case.”

“ _Nanao_.”

“What?” she asked, unconcerned, “I’m all about safe choices.”

Rangiku nodded in solemn agreement. “No glove, no love.”

“You’re both out of your minds.”

“I’m telling you, you just need to get it out of your system – wham – bam – thank you for the orgasms!”

“That’s a tad crude,” Orihime managed, face bright pink.

“Listen,” Nanao jumped in, tone serious, “you’re both extremely highly driven individuals under a lot of pressure, all while competing against one another and being insanely attracted to each other on top of that, Rangiku’s right – you just need to bone and get it out of your system.”

“And _what_ exactly am I getting out of my system?” Rukia demanded.

“The sexual frustration – it’s coming off in waves and I’m worried I might get pregnant.”

Rangiku was definitely not breathing anymore while Orihime made choking noises – trying not to laugh, and Rukia couldn’t believe she could function unassisted after being surrounded by idiots like this.

Case in point.

Rukia was actually an idiot.

The definition of one; her picture was in the dictionary next to the word, even.

She should feel ashamed or embarrassed – and she was, somewhere between her toes curling, her breath mingling with his, their heaving chests pressed together and her fluttering-stuttering heartbeat hammering in time with his. Somewhere beneath his large, warm hands spread wide, and purposefully hooking one of her thighs around his hip while the other cradled her cheek – thumb teasingly coaxing her swollen lower lip after the onslaught of his mouth against hers – somewhere, beneath all that – she was ashamed and embarrassed.

But mostly she was wired so tight so she was sure her nerves were on the verge of snapping.

Her brain felt like it was stalling – still stuck on their earlier debate after the success of the showcase presentation of their semester-end projects.

Her light refraction demonstration – “Shirayuki” – had been a raging success, and whether by accident or coincidence – his dark matter demo – “Zengetsu” – was the perfect contrast. Both projects were touted as the complementary winners of the event, and no one talked about one without the other.

High off the praise and the acknowledgement of a job well done, his open and appreciative awe during her presentation had dislodged something – strange – in her chest.

(Like she expected him to belittle her work, talk her down because it was really just another version of his – _if you really looked at it._ )

“They could’ve easily said that about mine,” he’d said with a shrug, hands in the pocket of his dress slacks when they concluded the shop talk. “We exist in a frequency – light, dark; we can’t exist without the other, we’re in the same plain but at different ends. I’d be an idiot to think I have a monopoly over it. Though, I have noticed we tend to always work on the same frequency, but I don’t think you’re arrogant enough to think I’d be doing that on purpose just so we’d be using the same labs.”

“Some would say I’m entirely too arrogant.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you were, you’re…clever.”

She remembered snorting. “That was like…Li Shang – _you fight good –_ levels.”

He had the decency to blush even as he retorted, “I think I’m a lot smoother than that.”

“Smooth? Oh no, you went so far as to use the same labs as me, said so yourself,” she reminded, raising her brows, expression set in a cat-got-the-canary face. “Got to say though, that’s a new and interesting way to get to know someone.”

“What can I say, won’t meet a girl like you every dynasty.”

Rukia chuckled. “Highly doubtful, but A+ for effort.”

“Do I get a gold star?”

She sighed dramatically, vaguely aware but conscious all the same that the distance between them had significantly reduced and she was craning her neck a little to maintain eye contact. “I’m already sharing my win with you, isn’t that enough?”

His voice dropped quietly between them, “I don’t like sharing.”

In a rush, she muddled through, “Not even me?”

“Definitely not sharing you.”

And now – here they were – her pressed up against the counter, dressed hiked up, one hand tangled in his hair with the other seeking the warm skin beneath his button-up – brain finally working through the entire situation until the panic began to seep in and all that was running through her head was _I’m an idiot,_ and then, “Oh my god.”

With his forehead resting against hers, he opened his eyes – amber irises a thin ring around blown up pupils – and exhaled slowly, “That’s not the one I’m looking for.”

“What are you -” He dropped his chin until he caught her lips once more, tilting her head a little, and in one step he was between her legs and there was a decidedly thick bulge lining perfectly up against the liquid heat quivering between her thighs. She hissed out a surprised breath before he gave her lip a lingering tug, just to go nosing down her neck to trace her racing pulse with his tongue. _“Oh my god.”_

Against her skin, he smirked. “That’s the one.”

**Author's Note:**

> Did you miss me?
> 
> [Buy me a coffee or reblog my fic](https://everything-withered.tumblr.com/)


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